Matters of the Heart
by Emily Elizabeth
Summary: While in New York with Hank on Valentine's Day, Sara decides to follow her heart. NS Re-written and Re-posted! Please R&R!


Summary: While in New York with Hank on Valentine's Day, Sara decides to follow her heart. *N/S*  
  
A/N: This story was written for Valentine's Day for the N/S shippers. I posted it on the mailing lists I subscribe to and on Vaffel.com, but I didn't get any reviews on Vaffel, so I decided to post it here too. Maybe it just sucks, and that's why it didn't get any reviews. I don't know. So all feedback, positive or negative, is MUCH appreciated. Also, keep in mind that this was written BEFORE Crash and Burn, and even though I was always a total Hank-hater, I tried to be a LITTLE nice to him in this story. Well, as nice as you can be to him.  
  
Another A/N: I reposted this story because when I was rereading it the other day I realized that I absolutely hated the ending, and if I had been reading it as if someone else wrote it, I would be like "Oh COME ON!! They would never do that!" and roll my eyes. So, needless to say, I had to rewrite it. Please let me know what you think! Thanks!!  
  
~Emily  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
She'd never done anything like this before. She had never been spontaneous. She had never done anything without having everything planned down to the last minute detail. She had never completely ignored what her brain told her. She had never left matters to her heart. She had also never been in love.  
  
Standing on his doorstep in the pouring rain, Sara Sidle contemplated going home for the eighth time in four minutes. She walked down two steps, then ran back up to the door. Three steps, then back up again. Grasping onto the now completely soaked box of chocolates in her hand, she rang the doorbell before she made a mistake that she would forever regret. It was another minute before he answered.  
  
"Hey, Nick."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Sara poured herself a cup of coffee and sank into the break room couch. Leaning her head against the cool leather, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. She sighed when Catherine entered the room and sat down next to her. Her solitude was destroyed. She had known it wouldn't last long, after all, shift was about to start, but it had been good while it lasted.  
  
"So, Sara," Catherine began, "What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Grissom said you took the whole weekend off. You and Hank doing something special?" she asked.  
  
Leave it to Catherine to bring up what she had been trying all day to forget.  
  
"Not that it's any of your business, but yeah. He's taking me to New York for the weekend."  
  
"Nice, very nice. I wish I was going to New York for the weekend. But no," she said, looking up at Grissom, who had just entered the room, "Gil's taking me to the spider expo. Romantic," she said sarcastically.  
  
"Sounds like fun."  
  
"It will be. They have various species of spiders on display, and in honor of Valentine's Day they're doing a special presentation on their mating rituals," Grissom explained animatedly. Catherine slid over so Grissom could sit down, and rested her head on his shoulder. Pangs of jealousy spread through Sara. The two were so obviously in love.  
  
She wished she had someone to love her like that. She did have Hank, but that wasn't the same. She was completely dreading the weekend ahead. It was hard enough for the two to find things to talk about on regular dates. They mostly talked about work. But they couldn't spend the entire weekend talking about work. Because, honestly, how much can you say about your latest corpse?  
  
"Hey guys. Happy Valentine's Day." She was jostled out of her reverie by the sound of Nick's voice. Her heart skipped a beat when Nick handed her a box of chocolates.  
  
"Sweets, for the two sweetest ladies in Vegas," he said, handing an identical box to Catherine. Sara mentally kicked herself for getting so excited about a lousy box of chocolates. It didn't mean anything; Nick was just a nice guy, plus they weren't just for her. Catherine got some, too. And even if he didn't get Catherine any, it still didn't matter. She was with Hank. It was Hank she cared about getting chocolates from, not Nick. 'Nick is a friend, that's it,' she told herself. But then why did she melt whenever he flashed her that Texas grin of his?  
  
"Thank you, Nick." Catherine rose to give Nick a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Nick. You didn't have to," Sara stammered.  
  
"What, no kiss?" he teased, pointing to his other cheek.  
  
Sara felt her face go red. 'He doesn't mean it. He just said that because Catherine gave him a kiss. He doesn't really want a kiss. Or does he?' Her face flushed and even deeper shade of pink at that last thought. 'Stop it,' she told herself, and rose to give him a peck on the cheek.  
  
Warrick walked in and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Hey Sara," he began, "Is there something you and Nick want to tell us? Should Hank be jealous?" he teased.  
  
If Sara thought her face could not be redder, she was proven wrong. Nick wrapped his arm around Sara's shoulder and said to Warrick, "Hey man, tell Hank that I'm taking his girlfriend here," he teased back.  
  
"I'm not his girlfriend," she said, shaking off Nick's arm.  
  
"Really? Then why are you going to New York with him?" Catherine asked smugly.  
  
"New York? Really?" Nick's face fell, and Sara felt her heart wrench.  
  
"Well...I guess...Yeah... but you don't have to go broadcasting it to the entire lab." She just wanted to leave, to go home.  
  
"No offense, Sara, but I think the whole lab already knows," Warrick said.  
  
"Could we just get to work, please? Grissom?" Sara pleaded.  
  
Grissom took the hint. "Okay, assignments."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Sara looked down at her boarding pass. 'This is it,' she told herself, 'There's no turning back now.'  
  
Sara felt Hank's hands snake around her waist, "You ready?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said, trying to sound enthusiastic.  
  
"Then let's go. We're going to miss our flight." He picked up her carry- on bag and led the way.  
  
Sara sighed. "This is going to be a long weekend."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Sara looked around the restaurant. There were so many happy, smiling couples. It made her sick. Not that she wasn't happy to be in New York; she was. She had only been to New York once before, and she loved it. It wasn't Las Vegas, but it was still a great city. She just wished she were there under different circumstances.  
  
The plane ride had been one of the longest of her life. Hank hadn't said a word to her, just put on his headphones and took a nap. She had looked out the window at the clouds and wondered for the zillionth time what she was doing there. What she was doing with her life. She was wasting it away with one of the dullest men she had ever met. Sitting in the restaurant, she had the same thoughts. She fiddled with the edge of the box of chocolates Hank had given her when they arrived at the restaurant, and waited for him to get back from the men's room. She looked at her watch for the third time.  
  
And men thought women took forever.  
  
She looked at the box of chocolates. They weren't as nice as the ones Nick had given her. Nick's had been Godiva chocolate. Hank's were Russell Stover. Godiva was better. She looked over at a couple seated at the table across from theirs. They were smiling and holding hands and talking. He was from Texas. She could tell from his accent. But of course, Nick's accent was cuter. 'God Sara!' she scolded herself, 'You're not with Nick. You're with Hank. You're in New York. Nick's in Las Vegas. And Hank's in the bathroom. So get over it.'  
  
Suddenly everything made sense. Why she had been so unhappy the past few months. Why whenever Nick walked by her heart rate accelerated. Why she never knew what to say to Hank, but always knew what to say to Nick. Because she didn't love Hank. She loved Nick.  
  
Sara knew what she had to do. When Hank came out of the bathroom, she would tell him. She would tell him that it wasn't working out. She would let him off easy. She wouldn't mention anything about Nick. She would just tell him that she needed some space. That they could still be friends. 'Yeah, like that one ever works.'  
  
Three minutes later Hank walked back to the table. "Sorry I took so long," he apologized.  
  
"It's okay. Hank, we need to talk."  
  
"Sure, baby. One second." he motioned for the waiter to come to the table.  
  
"It's just that, what I mean is-"  
  
"Yes sir?" the waiter interrupted.  
  
"Could we get another bottle of wine? Thanks." The waiter left, and the two were alone again.  
  
"What were you saying, baby?"  
  
"Hank," she started again, "It's just that, I mean...it's not working," she blurted out.  
  
He didn't look shocked at all. Or upset. He took a sip of his wine, then placed the glass back on the table. Reaching for her hand, he said, "I know, baby. I don't think it's working either."  
  
"You don't?" She was stunned.  
  
"No. I want it to work, but it just isn't. You always seem to have something else on your mind, well, someone else on you mind."  
  
"It's that obvious?" she asked, embarrassed that he had know the whole time.  
  
"Yeah. I think he's the only one who didn't see it. And you're the only one who doesn't see the way he looks at you. And when I'm around? I'm afraid for my life when he shoots me one of those looks." He smiled.  
  
"Really?" If Nick was interested, then she had to catch him before it was too late.  
  
"Really. It's been fun, Sara, but you know what you have to do. Here," he handed her the plane ticket, "Go get him."  
  
"Thanks Hank," she kissed him on the cheek. "Bye." She started out of the restaurant, and then went back to the table. "Forgot something," she said, picking up the chocolates.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Nick plopped down on the couch and picked up the remote. After flipping through the channels and finding nothing on, he switched off the television and threw the remote onto the cushion. Valentine's Day had never been so depressing. He should be out somewhere, with someone special. But he wasn't. He was sitting in his living room feeling sorry for himself because the only person he wanted to be with that day was in New York.  
  
He was going to ask her if she wanted to spend Valentine's Day with him. But when he found out that she was going to New York with Hank, he knew that he couldn't. He had flirted with her the whole night at work, trying to get her to change her mind, and realize what was standing right in front of her. But she thwarted his attempts, and he was left alone on Valentine's Day with nothing on TV.  
  
If only he hadn't given a box of chocolates to Catherine, too, then maybe things would have worked out differently. 'But, no, Nick, you had to take the easy way out. You had to give some to Catherine, too, so Sara wouldn't think you got them especially for her. Which you did.' He smiled when he thought back to the day before, when he spent an hour in the Chocolate Shop picking out the perfect chocolates for Sara. And then he chickened out, and got another box for Cath. And now Sara was gone. With Hank. He still didn't know what she saw in that guy. He was so... boring.  
  
He didn't hear the doorbell right away. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he realized that someone was at the door. He saw her silhouetted form through the frosted glass of his window. It couldn't be. She was in New York, right?  
  
He hopped off the couch and rushed to the door. There she was, standing in the pouring rain, holding on tightly to a box of chocolates.  
  
"Hey, Nick."  
  
"Sara? What are you doing here? Come in, it's pouring out!" He led her to the couch and got a towel out of his linen closet. He wrapped it around her and rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm her freezing body. "How long were you standing out there?"  
  
"About ten minutes or so. These are for you." She handed him the soggy Russell Stover box.  
  
"Thanks." He placed the chocolates on the coffee table. "Oh man, Sara. I'm sorry. I didn't hear the bell and-"  
  
"It's okay Nick. I was standing out there for a while before I even rang the bell. I was trying to figure out what I was doing here," she said softly.  
  
"I thought you were in New York? With Hank?"  
  
"I was."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I left."  
  
"Oh." He paused. "Why? What happened? Did he do something?" If Hank laid a finger on Sara, he would kill him.  
  
"No, nothing like that. I just decided to follow my heart for once."  
  
"What do you mean?" He was confused. Did she mean what he thought she meant? Did she feel the same way he did?  
  
Sara grabbed the towel, now damp from soaking up the water on her body, and tossed it to the side of the couch. Taking a deep breath, she took a step towards him.  
  
"I mean," she said softly, almost in a whisper, her lips inches from his, "That I love you. And I want to be with you." She locked her eyes with his, getting lost in their brown depths.  
  
Nick felt her cool breath on his face as she spoke the words he had been yearning to hear. He gently ran his thumb across her cheekbone. "I love you, too."  
  
She broke the distance between them and kissed him softly. "Happy Valentine's Day."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N~ Okay, what do you think? I tried not to be too fluffy, but fluff is just so much fun to write! Pretty please review!!  
  
~Emily 


End file.
